The sport of golf is popular worldwide, and has seen increasing popularity in recent years. It is estimated that there are approximately 60 million club and recreational golfers worldwide. What most golfers strive to achieve is to hit the ball straight, and with a ball flight and length that is consistent with the intended design of the club being used. There are various elements that influence a player's ability to achieve this aim. The elements that are quite easily learnt by any golfer include stance, club grip, posture, and alignment. A much more difficult element to learn and master, and arguably the most important, is the swing.
A desirable golf swing is one that is repeatable, such that the golfer is able to consistently deliver the club head of a golf club at an angle square to the golf ball at impact. Successful professional golfers are those who are best able to achieve a repeatable golf swing and then apply that golf swing with good course management to navigate a golf course in the fewest shots. With a few notable exceptions, such professional golfers generally have swings with similar mechanics, whereby the golf club is taken back and then returned to the ball substantially along a single plane.
Approximately 95% of golfers worldwide have a handicap of more than 11, indicating that most golfers have one or more swing flaws that prevent them from consistently scoring in accordance with the stipulated number of strokes allocated for completion of a golf hole, commonly referred to as “par”. When a golfer takes the golf club back on an incorrect swing plane, then the golfer typically employs a series of compensatory actions in an effort to enable the club head to contact the ball. However, the compensatory actions generally deliver inconsistent results, such as reduced or inconsistent distance, pushing or pulling the ball, hooking or slicing the ball, poor ball flight, topping the ball, a combination of these problems, or even missing the ball entirely.
Professional golfers generally utilise a swing that is mechanically more refined when compared to the types of swings practised by most club and recreational golfers. Many non-professional golfers may think they understand the basics of a good swing, however, in reality they are often unaware that there is a large difference in the mechanics of a typical professional's swing when compared to the swing of a club golfer. This typically relates to those with a handicap of 8 or more. As a player's ability increases and he/she obtains a handicap below 8, it is likely that the player will achieve a swing which is based on solid mechanics and more closely resembles the swing of a typical professional golfer.
Existing golf training devices are known which attempt to guide a user through a golf swing. Such devices typically guide just the shaft of the club by using a guiding rail which is located beneath the shaft. However, in practice this does not provide an accurate or realistic simulation of a well-executed golf swing because it is the hands that dictate the swing plane, not that shaft, so supporting only the shaft renders the hands left free to do whatever they like.
When considering existing golf swing training devices, for the hoop based versions, regardless of hoop diameter, they typically only permit the shaft to travel on the same plane (or a parallel plane) as the hoop, namely the same plane (or a parallel plane) as the hands. From a technique point of view, this does not reflect a desirable swing path because with the guiding rail located beneath the shaft, the shaft is not permitted to be laid back. If this action is attempted, the hoop or guiding rail immediately interferes with the shaft, preventing it from creating the desired angle on both the backswing and follow through.
In such hoop based existing golf swing training devices, it is generally not possible to locate the hands close enough to the body at address, because the hoop and any attached carriage get in the way (i.e., the correct ball address position cannot be achieved).
Golf coaches and teaching professionals are able to correct static alignment and postural issues of a golf student at address, as the golf coach is able to interact directly with the student while the club is not being moved. Golf coaches and teaching professionals are also able to instruct students in relation to the position of the club and hands at the top of the backswing, as a static position. However, once the student seeks to practise a full swing, with the clubhead reaching speeds of up to 120 miles/hour, it is not possible for the golf coach to be able to interact directly with the student to guide the correct club and hand position.